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Why I Use Fresh Herbs

Using fresh herbs instead of dried ones adds a different dimension to your cooking. It is quite amazing the different nuances that fresh herbs lend to a dish.

I like to grow rosemary, basil, flat-leaf parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram and sage. I find that if I place them in a location that is somewhat protected from the wind and is not north facing, I usually have pretty good luck with over-wintering rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram and sage. The sage is pretty good until there’s a big frost, then it dies back and returns in the spring. In fact, my rosemary plants are 3 to 4 foot shrubs! What I don’t have growing in the garden, I buy from the Farmer’s Market.I love being able to go into my garden in the fall and winter to see what’s still available!

In summer, whenever I see beautiful bundles of dill weed, I get some for freezing to use during the times fresh is unavailable. I chop them up and place in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and place in the freezer. It works really well!

You can also freeze basil for a couple of months. I just place the whole stems in a plastic freezer bag and chuck into the freezer. I add them to what I’m making, a few minutes before the dish is finished cooking, for that hit of summer. You can also puree the basil with EVOO and then place into ice cube trays and freeze. Remove from the ice cube trays and place into freezer bags and store in the freezer. Then whenever you need some EVOO and basil, you’re ready to go!

If you would like to locate the Farmer’s Markets we go to, clickMy Source List.